SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1227
* SpaceNews 27-Dec-99 *
BID: $SPC1227
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SpaceNews
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MONDAY DECEMBER 27, 1999
* LUSAT-OSCAR-19 NEWS *
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In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the Microsat satellite launch
on January 22, 2000, AMSAT-Argentina activated LUSAT-OSCAR-19's CW
telemetry beacon transmitter on December 21, 1999. PSK is now being
transmitted by the satellite on 437.150 MHz, and CW is available on
437.125 MHz. The digipeater is currently active, and the PSK beacon
is currently transmitting the following text message:
---------------------------------------------
Dec 21.
CW beacon active for some hours
Pse send your report and get a nice QSL card.
73 de Nestor, LU7XAC
---------------------------------------------
LO-19, a 7 inch square microsat satellite, orbits 780 km above the
earth's surface. Solar cells and NiCad batteries aboard LO-19 are
maintaining better than 60% efficiency after over 51,600 consecutive
charge/discharge cycles in space. The satellite is currently
delivering over 1 watt of output power on both transmitters.
Controllers invite everyone to copy either the CW or PSK telemetry
transmissions from LO-19, and submit them to AMSAT-Argentina in exchange
for a colorful QSL card. Reports may be sent via packet radio to:
LU7AA@LU7AA.CF.ARG.SOAM, or via e-mail at lu7xac@amsat.org. AMSAT-LU's
Web site is available at: http://www.amsat-lu.org/
The morse sent by LO-19 on 437.125 MHz is abbreviated slightly to save
transmission time and conserve on-board electrical power. Morse is sent
at 12 WPM, and is coded as follows:
0 - T 5 . E
1 .- A 6 -.... 6
2 ..- U 7 -... B
3 ...- V 8 -.. D
4 ....- 4 9 -. N
The beacon has one status channel and eight 3 digit data channels. Data
for each channel follows, and the formulas that follow provide the correct
value.
The message format is: LUSAT HI HI VL N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8
VL: Version of redundant software. N1 to N8 telemetry data of each channel.
CH 1: N1 +5 voltage 636/N1 Volts
CH 2: N2 +10 battery voltage 0.064*n2 Volts
CH 3: N3 CW transmitter temp 0.354*(134.7-N3) Deg. C
CH 4: N4 Output power TX ((10.9+N)^2)/40.1 mW
CH 5: N5 Box temperature #4 0.356*(136-N5) Deg. C
CH 6: N6 +10 v current 0.7*N6 mA
CH 7: N7 +Z voltage panel 0.15*N7 Volts
CH 8: N8 +8.5 voltage 0.056*N8 Volts
LUSAT's BBS code is expected to be reloaded in mid-January 2000.
Thanks go to LUSAT's first ground control station, Nestor Pavan, LU7XAC,
for building up a team and placing LO-19 in full operation. Special thanks
also go out to AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Brasil, and Weber College with
whom AMSAT-Argentina has shared the Microsat's Quest during the last ten
years.
[Info via LU7XAC and LU7AA]
* EME NEWS *
============
EA3DUX reported via W2RS of his first successful 2-yagi to 2-yagi EME
contact on 432 MHz. EA3DUX's report is as follows:
Hi all:
I am happy to announce an event long waited: the first 2yagi-2yagi EME QSO
on 432 sked with my friend Andrea IK5QLO, on December the 23rd of 1999 at
05:27 UTC, with report "O - O" in both sides.
After 6 and a half years of activity on 432 with 2x38el M2 and after
many not successful skeds, it has been possible to complete a first ever
2yagi-2yagi on this band, with the help of moon perigee and very low sky
noise. At the beginning signals were very poor, and we were not able to
hear each other. After 15 minutes, sked conditions raised up to very
good signals, each period conditions rised and rised until the end where
conditions were excellent and permitted also a random QSO.
The equipment was 2x28el + 1000 Watts at Andrea's (IK5QLO) side, and 2x38el
M2 + 1350 Watts at EA3DXU's side. Both stations running near the limit
state of the art of 432 MHz band.
Now, with the state of the art equipment of 144 and 432 MHz, a big array
is not necessary to have some QSOs on EME. Only good tropo equipment is
necessary for some QSOs with big guns on EME. This could help some well
equipped tropo or satellite stations to try to make some tests on EME,
with full warranties that there are good possibilitites to complete some
fantastic QSOs on both bands.
I was fortunate to complete also the first 2yagi-2yagi 144MHz EME QSO on
the 24th of September of 1988, with PA0JMV, on sked. Now the state of the
art permits also quite usual 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs on 144 MHz. I am sure
that in the coming years, 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs will be possible on the
432 MHz band, all that is necessary is a little improvement on TX power
and RX noise factor or antenna gain, but I am sure that these conditions
will be acomplished in the first years of the next 2??? years.
Next step willl be of course 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs on 70cm, or
2yagi-1yagi random QSOs on 144 MHz.
Merry Christmas and a happy new 2000 year.
73 de Josep EA3DXU
* THANKS! *
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All the best wishes to everyone for a healthy and happy holiday season
and the best of luck and opportunities in the last year of the century!
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor
(John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
WWW: http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
MAIL: John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
Department of Engineering and Technology
Brookdale Community College
765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, New Jersey 07738
PACKET: KD2BD @ N2TDU.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET: kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE: AMSAT-OSCAR-16, KITSAT-OSCAR-25
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